The Providence Reds were a hockey team that played in the Canadian-American Hockey League (CAHL) between 1926 and 1936 and the American Hockey League (AHL) from 1936 to 1977, the last season of which they played as the Rhode Island Reds. The team won the Calder Cup in 1938, 1940, 1949, and 1956. The Reds played at the Rhode Island Auditorium, located on North Main Street in Providence, Rhode Island, from 1926 through 1972, when the team affiliated with the New York Rangers and moved into the newly built Providence Civic Center. The team name came from the breed of chicken known as the Rhode Island Red.
When the North American Hockey League folded in 1977, the owners of the NAHL's Broome Dusters acquired the Reds franchise and moved them to Binghamton, New York, where they were known as the Binghamton Dusters, Binghamton Whalers, and Binghamton Rangers. In 1997 the franchise was sold to Madison Square Garden and then moved to Hartford, Connecticut to become the Hartford Wolf Pack. On November 27, 2010, they were renamed the Connecticut Whale to honor the NHL's Hartford Whalers; but changed their name back to the Wolf Pack in 2013. It is the oldest continuously operating minor-league hockey franchise in North America, having fielded a team in one form or another since 1926 in the CAHL. Among all professional hockey franchises in North America, only the NHL's Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins are older. is also the only AHL franchise to have never missed a season since the league began as a "circuit of mutual convenience" between the CAHL and first International Hockey League in 1936.
The AHL returned to Providence in 1992 in the form of the Providence Bruins. Formed in 2001, The Rhode Island Reds Heritage Society commemorates the existence of the Reds franchise and keeps the memory alive. Their pinnacle event is an annual reunion that takes place during the first weekend in August.
Coaches Jimmy Gardner (1926–29) Sprague Cleghorn (1929–31) Billy Coutu (1933–34) Albert "Battleship" Leduc (1936–37) Frederick "Bun" Cook (1938–39, 1940–43) Johnny Mitchell (1943–44) Irwin Boyd (1944–46) Terry Reardon (1947–53) Pat Egan (1953–55) Jack Crawford (1955–60) Phil Watson (1960–61) Fern Flaman (1961–65) Ivan Irwin (1965–66) Dave Creighton (1969–70) Larry Wilson (1971–72) Larry Popein (1972–73) John Muckler (1973–76)
Season-by-season results Providence Reds 1926–1936 (Canadian-American Hockey League) Providence Reds 1936–1976 ((International-)American Hockey League) Rhode Island Reds 1976–1977 (American Hockey League)
Regular season Season Games WonLostTiedPoints Goalsfor Goalsagainst Standing1926–27321217 327 50 674th, C-AHL1927–28401319 834 88 835th, C-AHL1928–294018121046 64 582nd, C-AHL1929–30402411 553120 981st, C-AHL1930–31402311 652132 962nd, C-AHL1931–32402311 6521381081st, C-AHL1932–33482616 6581291172nd, C-AHL1933–34401912 947 91 921st, C-AHL1934–3548191712501241443rd, C-AHL1935–36472120 6481061272nd, C-AHL1936–37482120 7491221253rd, East1937–38482516 757114 861st, East1938–3954212211531361532nd, East1939–40542719 8621611571st, East1940–41563121 4661961711st, East1941–42561732 7412052374th, East1942–43562727 2562112162nd, East1943–44521136 5271262143rd, East1944–456023 631522412493rd, East1945–46622333 6522212543rd, East1946–4764213310522262814th, East1947–48684123 4863422771st, East1948–49684418 6943472191st, East1949–50703433 3712682672nd, East1950–51702441 5532473034th, East1951–52683233 3672632702nd, East1952–53642736 1552152545th, AHL1953–54702640 4562112765th, AHL1954–55642137 6481942636th, AHL1955–56644517 2922631931st, AHL1956–57643422 8762361681st, AHL1957–58703332 5712372203rd, AHL1958–59702840 2582222656th, AHL1959–60723832 2782512373rd, AHL1960–61722646 0522253337th, AHL1961–62703632 2742612673rd, East1962–63723829 5812392031st, East1963–64723235 5692482393rd, East1964–65722050 2421933125th, East1965–66722049 3431843105th, East1966–6772134613392103295th, East1967–68723033 9692352723rd, East1968–69743236 6702422843rd, East1969–7072233613592182674th, East1970–7172283113692572701st, East1971–7276283711672502744th, East1972–7376323014782532554th, East1973–7476382612883302442nd, North1974–7576432112983172631st, North1975–76763434 8762943003rd, North1976–77802551 4542823596th, AHL
Playoffs Season1st round2nd roundFinals1926–27 Out of Playoffs1927–28 Out of Playoffs1928–29W, (4-3GD) New Haven —L, Boston, 0-2-21929–30bye—W, Boston, 3-01930–31L, (7-6GD), Boston—1931–32W, (5-2GD) Bronx—W, Boston, 3-01932–33L, (7-4GD) Boston—1933–34bye—W, Boston, 3-0-01934–35W, Quebec, 3-0—L, Boston, 3-01935–36W, Springfield 2-1—L, Philadelphia, 3-11936–37L, 1-2, Springfield—1937–38 ByeW, 2-1, Philadelphia W, 3-1, Syracuse1938–39W, 2-1 SyracuseL, 2-0 Cleveland1939–40 W, 3-2 Indianapolis byeW, 3-0, Pittsburgh1940–41 L, 1-3, Cleveland ——1941–42 Out of playoffs1942–43 L, 0-2, Cleveland ——1943–44 Out of playoffs1944–45 Out of playoffs1945–46 L, 0-2, Cleveland ——1946–47 Out of playoffs1947–48 L, 1-4, Cleveland ——1948–49 W, 4-3, St. LouisbyeW, 4-3, Hershey1949–50 W, 2-0, SpringfieldL, 0-2, Indianapolis—1950–51 Out of playoffs1951–52 W, 3-2, ClevelandW, 3-1, CincinnatiL, 2-4, Pittsburgh1952–53 Out of playoffs1953–54 Out of playoffs1954–55 Out of playoffs1955–56 W, 3-2, Buffalo—W, 4-0, Cleveland1956–57 L, 1-4, Rochester——1957–58 L, 1-4, Hershey——1958–59 Out of playoffs1959–60 L, 1-4, Springfield——1960–61 Out of playoffs1961–62 L, 1-2, Hershey——1962–63 L, 2-4, Buffalo——1963–64 L, 1-2, Hershey——1964–65 Out of playoffs1965–66 Out of playoffs1966–67 Out of playoffs1967–68 W, 3-1, SpringfieldL, 1-3, Quebec—1968–69 W, 3-1, BaltimoreL, 2-3, Quebec—1969–70 Out of playoffs1970–71 W, 4-2, BaltimorebyeL, 0-4, Springfield1971–72 L, 1-4, Boston——1972–73 L, 0-4, Nova Scotia——1973–74 W, 4-2, Nova ScotiaW, 4-0, New HavenL, 1-4, Hershey1974–75 L, 2-4, Springfield——1975–76 L, 0-3, Rochester——1976–77 Out of playoffs
Affiliations Per HockeyDB: Boston Bruins (1936–1938, 1958–1962, 1963–1969) California Seals (1969–1971) Chicago Black Hawks (1939–1941) Colorado Rockies (1976–77) New England Whalers (1976–77) New York Rangers (1955–1958, 1971–1976) St. Louis Blues (1968–69, 1975–76) Toronto Maple Leafs (1942–43)
References